Here we go again
Just to say first of all, this isn't my Wii. I happen to like the Wii as it is and would only add maybe a scratch proof cover/decal to protect if if I were REALLY pushed.
Secondly,
all mods are done at your own risk ! Not only will NO ONE else accept responsibilty if you decide to do something, but you really need to be both mildly competent with whatever you're doing as well as at least mildly patient
Right, I think that's all the major intro rubbish out of the way...on to the review.
Firstly, the case arrived VERY well packaged:
It even had triwing and philips screwdrivers included.
The first problem involved getting access to the hidden screws. This is done via a very small screwdriver being used to
carefully prise off the stickied feet and stickers without damaging the casing:
We then followed these
INSTRUCTIONS that detailed how to take the Wii apart and rebuild with the replacement case.
I use the word rebuild, as that's exactly what was required. Basically, this has to be virtually a complete stripdown and rebuild :(
It takes a LONG time to do if you want to be careful and involves probably in the region of 30 screws (but it seems like hundreds).
A bit of advice: put all the screws into specific bowls/tubs so that:
a) you don't lose them, and
b) you know where they all go when it comes to putting them back together again.
An alternative is to keep the associated screws inside the holes they come from in the components you've removed.
The reason to stress this point is that the instructions on the website above are not the best I've ever seen. For instance, all the outer case screws are triwing headed, but the instructions only show philips head screws on their pictures when you get to the final assembly page.
If you are VERY careful about removing the screws and leaving no marks/not deforming any heads, it's important to note that there were
no seals to break during assembly. However, I stress again that you have to be VERY VERY careful to ensure all the correct screws go back into the correct holes and you haven't left any marks around as tell-tale signs of your foraging
It's
safer to assume that Ninty
can tell you've swapped cases and then back to white again if you have to return it for a warranty repair....in which case assume that all warranties get voided by doing this (caveat emptor).
On to the case.
I must say it looks quite good. It's not quite matt black. It looks like a very very very very dark grey/black on close inspection.....and it's also slightly sparkly (like car paint), although this shows up on the camera to look like dust.
Here are the piccies:
...and finally, here is the money shot
The case looks very good when sitting besides other black components (eg a dvd player or an av amp).....it makes the Wii look even more unobtrusive than it is at the moment.
Oh, and a final word of warning...the
worst thing you can do is make a screwdriver slip whilst engaged on the head. When this happens, the groove that mates with the business end of the 'driver (eg the + shaped trough on the philips screwhead) deforms in shape. This means that in future, the screwdriver won't fit as "snugly" and therefore it will be harder to unscrew/screw. The worst case is where the screw is impossible to remove.
Additionally, ninty (and the whole world) can easily tell that the Wii has been tampered with.
To avoid this, if a screw is very tight, simply apply
firmer force in the direction of the screwdriver (careful though). This is counterintuitive as you're trying to unscrew the screw, but it simply ensures no slipping on the screw head and the screw still unscrews normally.
It also means, what the with sheer number of screws involved, you end up with blisters
Again, it isn't my Wii (I like the mac-like white as it is
), but if you fancy a change, for £25 this doesn't look too bad.
Yet another mod.
. On the lookout for cases for my Classic, Nunchuks and WiiMotes.
Linear Mode
